CHAPTER 28 #5
Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the two countries to respond.
"What do you plan to do with this situation?" Leonardo asked casually as he peeled an orange, handing her a slice. "Try to convince them to surrender?"
Hedy gestured for Nino to leave and gently rubbed her stomach before speaking with an air of grace. "In my country, there was a scientist named Erwin Schrodinger."
Leonardo raised an eyebrow and fed her another slice of orange. "Go on?"
"He once conducted a fascinating experiment," Hedy continued. "He placed a cat and a small amount of radioactive material in the same box. The radioactive material had a 50% chance of decaying and releasing toxic gas, and if this happened, the cat would die."
"The problem is," she went on, "before the box is opened, is the cat alive, or is it already dead?"
"Both alive and dead," Leonardo responded instinctively. "It's a superposition of both states."
"Exactly," Hedy smiled. "Only when the box is opened does the wave function collapse, and things come to a definite conclusion."
"I have a question," Leonardo slowed his speech. "Your... country?"
Hedy blinked and, with his assistance, sat up a little straighter.
"I am Austrian," she said calmly. "More precisely, I am a Jew from Austria."
"Ah, the country now ruled by the Habsburg family?" Leonardo asked.
"Yes, it has the snow-capped Alps, the Blue Danube, and Erwin Schrodinger," she said, her tone filled with nostalgia. As she lowered her gaze, she softly began singing an ancient song:
"The mountains rise high, the rivers flow wide, the spires tower tall, and the fields stretch as far as the eye can see..."
"You were born in ancient times, with a noble mission on your shoulders—Austria, tried and true."
"Is this a song from five hundred years later?" Leonardo asked gently, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.
"It’s from three hundred years later," Hedy replied slowly. "Composed by our country's great composer, Mozart."
She felt a pang of homesickness.
With the arrival of October, the two duchies sent their responses.
Milan’s nobility had a very consistent stance—they figured, since Sforza had murdered his way to the throne, they would follow whatever Italy dictated.
The nobles were already returning, all thanking their hosts for their warm hospitality.
On the other hand, the royal family of Naples clearly hadn’t anticipated such a turn of events and didn’t think their king would be too devout in his adherence to Protestantism.
Some advisors vaguely speculated that Ferdinand I had been captured, but they were too cautious to act rashly.
The hair and rings were a chilling warning—especially with the border already teeming with Italians. A wrong step could mean losing one’s head.
The illegitimate son of the other old king stepped forward, immediately assuming his unlucky brother’s place as the new king and demanded that the messenger deliver his “solemn protest.”
Surrendering didn’t seem likely, and the Duchy of Naples condemned their actions as extreme in holding hostages.
In fact, the new king’s reasoning was quite simple—he believed that the less he complied, the harder it would be for Ferdinand I to survive, and the more secure his own position would be.
When the letter arrived, fast-tracked by a messenger, the queen was lounging by the window, eating grapes.
She glanced at it quickly and then looked up at Niccolò. "The new king?" she asked.
Leonardo, sitting beside her and fiddling with the signal receiver, chuckled softly. "Looks like the cat’s dead."
"Cat?" Niccolò asked, bewildered. "What cat?"
The Kingdom of Naples had waited for twenty days without receiving the queen’s letter, only to find that the Italian Empire's forces had already amassed on their borders.
Not only had they deployed massive crossbows and cannons, but the army had also been cutting down trees and digging up rocks along the way, leaving nothing in their wake!
What was going on? Hadn’t they been told they could take their time negotiating?
But when the army marched through and entered the castle, the people there finally realized what their old king had done. Not only had he murdered Duke Sforza, but he had also openly blasphemed, and now he was imprisoned in the dungeon!
At the moment the new king’s head fell, he let out a long, frustrated sigh.
At this point, did it really matter whether that fool had blasphemed or not? It was all up to them to decide anyway.
Damn it, he’d been played!
As news of Milan and Naples surrendering and being conquered spread, Florence had just wrapped up another wild Halloween celebration.
This year, thanks to the significant easing of taxes and trade pressures, nearly every commoner had work to do and food to eat, making the holiday spirit particularly strong.
On the eve of Halloween, many adults and children alike donned costumes representing various animals, wearing masks as they wandered the streets. They celebrated together, driving away the ghosts and spirits that arose with the departure of summer.
In the parade, several floats featured actors holding candles, and joyous songs of celebration spread with the crowd. The entire city was immersed in the glow of lights and merriment.
When the battle report arrived, members of the Upper and Lower Houses tossed their hats into the air, cheering.
Italy had gained two more territories! The empire would grow even more prosperous!
When Leonardo walked in, Hedy was leaning over the map of the Apennine Peninsula, studying it closely.
Now... if they could capture the Republic of Venice, the empire would be whole again.
She raised an eyebrow and noticed her lover’s arrival. "Leonardo?"
The man moved closer to her, his hand gently brushing her earlobe.
The slightly cool earring was softly placed on her, and as he did so, it hung delicately from her ear.
She froze for a moment, reaching up to touch the pure silver earring.
The earring's design was shaped like a cross, but beneath the cross... was the Star of David.
The Star of David... the symbol of the Jews.
"Happy birthday," he whispered softly. "I hope you like it."
Hedy took his hand, supporting her belly as she walked slowly to the full-length mirror. She finally saw the earrings clearly—she hadn't seen the Star of David in so long.
Even when facing Raphael’s confusion about faith, she had remained calm and tolerant. But this man... he had once again adorned her ear with the Star of David.
"Protestantism is now defined by you," Leonardo gently placed his hand on her shoulder, gazing at the beauty in the mirror whose eyes were slightly red, and said softly, "You can have them back."
Even in the future, if anyone questioned her, she could explain it from various angles.
Out of caution, he had placed the cross above the Star of David.
Over the years, she had grown accustomed to the coexistence of both faiths, just as she had with her dual nationality and identity.
The ruby glimmered in the candlelight, enhancing the alabaster white of her face.
"I really like them..." Hedy said softly, her voice hoarse. "Thank you."
Only Leonardo would go this far for her.
Only he would understand her so transparently.
She turned to him and hugged him tightly, struggling to hold back tears.
"I love you... Leonardo."
"You are the best lover."